Vehicle-shafts



(No Model.) ZSheets -Sheet 1.; I W. 'J. MQDERMOTT.

- VEHIGLB SHAFTST v No. 376,751. Patented Jan. 24, 1888.

w Ltwemo (No Model.) 2 Sheets Shet 2,

W. J. MbDE-RMOTT.

VEHICLE SHAFTS.

No. 376,751. Patented Jan. 24, 1888. v

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UNIT D l STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM J. MOIDERMOTT, or GBUBBVILLE, MISSOURI.

VEHlCLE-SHAFTS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 376,751,dated January 24, 1888.

Application filed May 26, 1887. Serial No. 239,45l. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MODER- MTT, of Grubbville, in the countyof Franklin and State of" Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Shafts .or Thills for Vehicles; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

. My invention relates to an improvement-in jointed or hinged shafts forvehicles, the obj ect-bei ng to provide a device of this character thatwill permit the safe and easy attachment :5 of spirited horses tovehicles, dispensing with the necessity of backing .a horse into thethills or shafts, as is common when draft-animals are being attached tothe ordinary shafts of a carriage or other vehicle. 1

With this object in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, that will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings making a part of 2 5 this specification,Figure 1 is a view of a section of a shaft embodying my invention. Fig.

2 is a view of same in position to receivethe horse or other animal.Fig.3 is a modified form of the improved shafts for vehicles or farmimplements, to which the invention is also applicable.- fied form of myimproved shafts, with one shaft unlocked and elevated to pe'rmit'theattachment of a horse'thereto; and Fig. 5 is a 3 5 view of the completeshafts.

. I In the preferred form, AA representa pair of shafts of a carriage,buggy, or other vehicle; or the shafts may be made proportionately heavyto serve for the draft of a wagon or farming implement or machine. Nearthe cross-bar B, thatconnects the shafts A A, the shaft A is cut intotwo pieces, the stub a of this shaft being in rigi'd connection with thecross-bar B. 'A strap-hinge, O, is secured to the outer surface of theshaft A and stub a of thesame to afford a hinged connection of theseparts, and thus permit the free end of the shaft to be madeto swing awayfrom I its mating shaft and assume a position'parallel to the stub a, asis shown in Fig. 2. I

Thestrap-hinge O ,is preferably madewith Fig. .4 is aview of themodiintegral lugs b b, which are made to embrace the top and bottomsurfaces of the shaft A and stub a, to properly secure the hinge fromdisplacement and relieve the attachingscrews 0' c, 850., from anystrain. a i Upon the inner surface oflhe shaft A a plate-spring, D,ofrequisite tensio'nal strength, is affixed in any stable manner at ornear one end, the opposite or free end being provided 6 near itsextremity with a hole, of pro'persize to admit the insertion through itof thelatch hook E, which is also affixed to register with the hole madefor it in spring D, andhave its hooked edge engage with and retain this6 spring when the shaft A isextendedin its normalposition, as shown inFig. 1.- 7 .Q

Through the body of the latch-hook W a hole, E, is cut to permit thecam-lug f, formed onthe side of the bolt F, to project through this hole6 and engage with its outer end the adjacent surface of the spring D.

The body of the bolt Fis held in place in the groove 9, made for itsreception in the stuba',

by the bearing contact ofthelatch-hook E 5 upon its cylindrical body,and the projection of the 'cam-lug f, through the hole inlatchhook 'VV,prevents the bolt Ffrom vertical dis.- placement. The upper projectingend of the bolt F is enlarged to form a thumb-piece, F,

by which it is partially rotated. I

When the shaft A is extended to mate with its fellow shaft A, thelatch-hook E will be in close hooked contact with-the plate-spring D,

and will thus retain thetwo pieces 'A a-of the $5" shaft in securedposition.

If it is desired to attach a horse to the vehicle on which the shaftsare placed, the bolt F is turned to cause its cam to bear upon thespring D and release its engagement with the latch-hook.E. ,The freeouterportion of the shaft A may now be made to swing as a gate laterallyon-its hinge O and fold rearwardly. The animal that is to be connectedwith the" 7 vehicle is madev to take a position in line with 5 theattached shaft A, and, if necessary,'the horse may be gently forcedtomove sidewise to assume a near proximity to this fixedshaft I I A. Theswinging shaft A may now be moved forwardlyon its hinge C and theharness made fast to the shafts A A, when the hitching op erati'on iscomplete withou'tharassing the animal, as is often the result of anattempt to back a spirited horse into a pair of shafts in the ordinarymanner.

a It is apparent that the shaft A may be so connected to the crossbar Bthat the hinge C will rest on the top surface of this shaft, instead ofthe outside, and in this case the free hinged portion of the shaft maybe raised up 'right, in place of swinging outwardly, as has positedirection,or toward these inclined sh onlders at the top side of theshaft A.

The stub a is slotted at k to receive the tongue A", and the rearportion or termination of this slot is given a slope to correspond withthe incline of the outer end of the tongue A the stub a and shaft Abeing pivoted to permit an upward movement of this shaft, upon the pivotm. (See Fig. 4.) Upon each side of the shaft A and its stub a the linksI I are pivoted. The link I, that is located upon the outside of theshaft, ispivoted near the cross-bar B, and is made to extend forwardlyto engage a stud, m, on the shaft A near the diagonal shoulder of itshinge, a slot, m in the link affording a means of such connection. Thelink that is pivoted at the point it on the inner face of the shaft A ata point directly opposite the stud m that engages the link I, and aslot, at, is formed in this link similar to the slot at in link I. Theslot n is engaged by the stud a which is rigidly fixed in the stub a ofthe shaft.

The construction and combination of parts just described will permit afree upward movement of the shaft A on its pivot m, and the links I Iafford a support laterally for the shaft at its point of connection withthe stub a.

Immediately below the hinged joint formed on the shaft A a swinginglatch, o, is pivoted at its rear end, 0. To the under side of the stuba, close to the crossbar B, near the forward end of this latch 0, alatch-hole, 0 is made through the latch to engage a springplate hook,1), that is secured at its forward end, p, to the shaft A, and on itsfree rear end a projecting shoulder, 19*, is made,to enter the hole 0 inthe swinging latch 0 when this latch is placed in line with the shaft A.The shoulder p is made with a slope or incline on its side to permit theready engagement of the latch o automatically by the simple swinging ofthe latch to its place below and in a line with the shaft and its stub,to rigidly connect these parts together. A cam-bolt, r, is located belowthe shaft and is boxed in a groove in the lower surface of this shaft A,to retain it in place and permit its partial rotation to depress thespring hook p sufliciently by the contact of its cam-toe r with thesurface of this hook a thumb-piece, a, formed on the outer end of thebolt r affording a convenient means ofopcrating the bolt.

When this modified form of hinged shaft is to be used to facilitate theconnection of a spirited horse to a vehicle, the hinged shaft A isreleased, as has just been described, and

the free end A elevated, as shown in Fig. 4.,

The horse may now be placed in line with the fixed shaft withoutdifficulty, no backing or other harassing movement being necessary, sothat worriment of the animal is avoided. The elevated shaft A may bemade to lure with the fixed shaft A by simply lowerlng it. The latch 0is made to engage the spring-hook p by swinging it so as to cause it tolock with this hook automatically.

It is apparent that the device hereinbefore described, as well as themodified form of construction shown, will afford a safe and convenientmeans of attaching spirited or fractious horses to "ehicles that cannotbe so connected in the ordinary way. As horses of a.

nervous or irritable nature will become excited and in some cases balkywhen any attempt is made to force them into a lining position between apair of ordinary shafts, the advantages of my improved construction ofshafts or thills for vehicles, wagons, or machines that have shafts isself-evident.

Many slight changes might be made in the constructive features of myimproved hinged shafts without departing from the spirit and 2. Inhinged shafts, the combination of a divided shaft the stub end of whichis fixed to the cross-bar, the free portion of this divided shaft beinghinged to the stub,.and a spring-latch that automatically engages itshook to hold the stub and shaft rigidly together when the free end ofthe divided shaft is made to swing in line with its stub, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In hinged shafts, the combination, with a crossbar and a short stubof a shaft, of a free shaft, a hinge to connect this free shaft to itsstub, aspring latch-hook, a plate-spring, and a cam-bolt to disengagethe plate-spring from the latch-hook, substantially as set forth.

4. In hinged shafts, the combination, with a short stub of a shaft and acrossbar conneeting said stub to an integral shaft, of a free pivoted 0nthe sides'of the shaft and stub. a

shaft, a hinge to connect this free shaft to its swinging pivoted latch,a spring-hook, and a stub, aplate-spring having a hole in its free end,a spring latch-hook to enter the hole in the plate-spring, and acam-bolt the cam-lug of l which passes through the latch-hook to bear onthe plate-spring and lift it whenthe' bolt isturned, substantially assetforth.

5. In hinged shafts, the combination, with a cross-bar and a short stubof a shaft that is slotted, of a free shaft having a tongue to mate theslotted end of the stubjtwo' links cam-bolt to release this spring-hook,substan- 15 tiallyas setforth. V

In testimony whereof I have signed this specificationinthe presence oftwo subscribing I witnesses. WILLIAM J. MODERMQTTQ I Witnesses:

R. B. DENNY, J r., JAMES P. KEE. r

